Bonnie Bedelia is an iconic Hollywood actress who has received many rave reviews over the course of her career, including a Golden Globe nomination and two Emmy Award nominations. She first rose to fame in the 1960s soap opera The Love of Life ; she later landed her first big-screen role in the 1969 action film The Gypsy Moths.
Over the years, she has made herself known to moviegoers around the world with roles in films like Die Hard, Heart Like a Wheel, The Big Fix and many more. She has also recorded several notable television credits, including the detective series The Division in which she portrays the main character – Captain Kate McCafferty. Bedelia was also a regular on the hit series Parenthood in which she played the role of Camille Braverman.
Bonnie Bedelia – Biography
The actress was born on March 25, 1948, and at birth her name was Bonnie Bedelia Culkin. She was born and raised in the Manhattan neighborhood of New York. Her mother, Marian Ethel (née Wagner), was a writer, while her father, Philip Harley Culkin, was a journalist. She grew up next to three siblings; two brothers, Christopher and Terry, and a sister named Candace. Unfortunately, she lost her parents when she was just a teenager.
It can be said that Bedelia has been involved in a show business all her life. At a very young age, she studied ballet at the School of American Ballet in New York and appeared in several productions of the New York City Ballet. In 1958, she appeared in a television production of The Nutcracker on an episode of the comedy series Playhouse 90. She then studied acting at HB Studio, also in New York.
Movies and TV series
As a teenager, Bonnie Bedelia got her first major acting role on the CBS soap opera The Love of Life (1961-67) in which she portrayed Sandy Porter. She also starred in several successful television series during this period and eventually landed her first role in a feature film. The Gypsy Moths (1969). She gained more attention when she starred in the highly acclaimed movie They Pull Horses, Right? (1969), followed by roles in many other films, including Lovers and Other Strangers (1970), The Big Fix (1978), Heart as a Wheel (1983) and The Stranger (1987).
Bedelia scored plenty of box office success when she appeared alongside Bruce Willis in the highly successful action thriller. Die Hard (1988) and its sequel Die Hard 2 (1990). She also had a role in the thriller Presumed Innocent (1990) which was also a commercial success. She also enjoyed major success on television, as her big screen credits skyrocketed. She played the lead role of Anna Larsen in the series The New Earth (1974) which lasted only one season. The talented actress has also appeared in countless TV movies over the course of her career, some of which are The Heatwave! (1974),Million Dollar Infield (1982), Traded at Birth (1991), A Mother’s Right: The Elizabeth Morgan Story (1992), Her Expensive Affair (1996), Every Mother’s Son (1997) and many others .
Bedelia landed one of the biggest roles of her career around the turn of the century when she played the lead role of Captain Kate McCafferty in the 4-season crime series The Division (2001-2004). She was also on the main cast of the comedy series Sordid Lives: The Series (2008) but that didn’t last beyond its first season. The iconic Hollywood star has also recorded a number of film credits since the turn of the century, including: Sordid Lives (2000), Manhood (2003), Munchausen (2013) and The Scent of Rain and Lightning ( 2017).
Recently, she starred as family matriarch Camille Braverman on the hit NBC series Parenthood (2010-15). The talented actress also had a recurring role on the political thriller series as Eva Booker. Designated Survivor (2017).
Her family life – husband and children
Bonnie Bedelia is currently married to fellow actor, Michael MacRae. The duo united in 1995 and have always had a happy union. Previously, the actress was married to screenwriter Ken Luber from 1969 until 1980, when the union ended in divorce. Bedelia has two sons from her first marriage. She welcomed her first son, Uri Luber, in June 1970 and her youngest son, Jonah Luber, was born in June 1976.
Celebrity facts about the actress
• Braces
Bonnie Bedelia’s performance in the 1983 biopic Heart Like a Wheel earned her a nomination for the 1984 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. She received her first Emmy nomination for her role in the hit series Fallen Angels (1993) and she landed another Emmy nomination for her role in the 1999 TV movie Locked in Silence
• Height and other body statistics
Bonnie Bedelia is 5 feet 4 inches (163cm) tall. She sports an enviable physique and maintains her body weight at around 57 kg (126 lbs). Now in her 70s, this iconic Hollywood star has maintained her timeless looks and can give the 40s a big boost.